Many persons enjoy playing games of chance, such as KENO, BINGO, and the lottery. However, in some cases a person may not be able to play the game because of transportation problems or for other reasons. Thus, the person may not be physically able to drive a car to the site of a game or to a store where lottery tickets are sold.
The present invention concerns a method of playing a game of chance, such as KENO, BINGO or the lottery, without having to be physically present at the game site, or without having to travel to a store or other location where lottery tickets are sold.
The method of the present invention involves the use of phone-operated facsimile machines for transmitting game information from each game player to the physical site where the game is being played, i.e. the place where the KENO, or BINGO numbers are drawn, or the winning lottery numbers selected. Subsequent to having inserted a game sheet into the facsimile machine, at e.g. his/her residence, a hotel room or a restaurant, containing a predicted winning combination, and other vital information, the game player also provides simultaneously therewith his/her credit card number, date of expiration and other data as required by the credit card issuer and/or the game site management. In doing so, the game player ensures that the amount of money that he/she is playing for is promptly charged to the supplied credit number. These charge of charges will then be billed to the game player in due course. The game site establishment's bank account will be credited with the cost incurred by the game player. Information on the game sheet is transmitted over the telephone line to a receiving fax machine located at the game site, e.g. the KENO or BINGO hall or the main lottery headquarters. An electronic reader device at the game site will read the duplicate game sheet generated by the receiving fax machine, and electronically transmits the information on the sheet to a computer memory and return a receipt confirmation to the game player with date and hour received, and further information as to approximately time of playing and number of the game, personal identification number, etc. The information received by the game operator is stored in the computer memory pending the time when the game is to be played or the winning lottery number drawn. At the designated time the winning numbers are punched into the computer and electronically compared with the numbers in the computer memory to select a game winner (or lottery winner).
The game player's credit card number is processed in a conventional manner or by special arrangement with the bank issuer of the card, in order to credit the game site's bank account.
The principal advantages of the invention are that each game player can play the game without having to physically travel to the game site or to a lottery sales outlet and can automatically charge the amount played for to his/her credit card. Senior citizens, confined to their residences, would especially enjoy the benefits of this invention.